Systems and methods that prevent oxygen inhibition of a light-initiated polymerization reaction by purging the oxygen from reaction surfaces using inert gas flow. In some embodiments, oxygen is purged using a gas diffusion system that introduces, via a diffuser, an inert gas into a workspace between a UV light source and a UV curable layer of a workpiece. The diffuser may be made of a transparent or diffuse material to allow UV light to pass through it, and includes an array of micro-holes for the gas to pass through towards the workpiece. The inert gas flow may be heated to maintain a desired and uniform reaction temperature.

The present disclosure is directed to additive manufacturing cartridges having an oxygen impermeable layer and to processes for producing cured polymeric products by additive manufacturing wherein the oxygen content during additive manufacturing is limited such as by use of the cartridge and/or by use of an inert gas.

The present disclosure is directed to additive manufacturing cartridges having an oxygen impermeable layer and to processes for producing cured polymeric products by additive manufacturing wherein the oxygen content during additive manufacturing is limited such as by use of the cartridge and/or by use of an inert gas.

A powder bed fusion apparatus for building an object in a layer-by-layer manner includes a build platform movable within a build sleeve to define a build volume, a layer formation device for forming layers of powder across the build volume in a working plane and an irradiation device for irradiating powder in the working plane to selectively fuse the powder. The powder bed fusion apparatus further includes a mechanical manipulator arranged to engage with the object and/or a build substrate, to which the object is attached, to tilt the object in a raised position above the working plane such that powder is freed from the object and deposited at a location above the working plane and/or into the build volume.

A powder bed fusion apparatus for building an object in a layer-by-layer manner includes a build platform movable within a build sleeve to define a build volume, a layer formation device for forming layers of powder across the build volume in a working plane and an irradiation device for irradiating powder in the working plane to selectively fuse the powder. The powder bed fusion apparatus further includes a mechanical manipulator arranged to engage with the object and/or a build substrate, to which the object is attached, to tilt the object in a raised position above the working plane such that powder is freed from the object and deposited at a location above the working plane and/or into the build volume.

A method for the additive manufacturing of a component, in which method the component is configured layer-by-layer from a base material which is solidified at least in regions in each layer, the method includes introducing at least one cooling gas flow for cooling at least the region to be solidified by way of at least one cooling medium nozzle into a carrier gas flow so as to form a cooling gas flow, wherein the cooling medium is present so as to be liquid and/or gaseous, wherein the cooling gas flow is guided through a de Laval nozzle, wherein the cooling medium flow is introduced such that the outflow of the cooling medium flow into the carrier gas flow takes place within or downstream of the de Laval nozzle, and the cooling gas flow is directed onto the component.

An additive manufacturing device utilizing an electron beam and laser integrated scanning comprises: a vacuum generating chamber (1); a worktable means having a forming region at least provided in the vacuum generating chamber (1); a powder supply means configured to supply a powder to the forming region; an electron-beam emission focusing and scanning means (6) and an laser-beam emission focusing and scanning means (7) configured in such a manner that a scanning range of the electron-beam emission focusing and scanning means (6) and a scanning range of the laser-beam emission focusing and scanning means (7) cover at least a part of the forming region; and a controller configured to control the electron-beam emission focusing and scanning means (6) and the laser-beam emission focusing and scanning means (7) to perform a powder integrated-scanning and forming treatment on the forming region.

An additive manufacturing device utilizing an electron beam and laser integrated scanning comprises: a vacuum generating chamber (1); a worktable means having a forming region at least provided in the vacuum generating chamber (1); a powder supply means configured to supply a powder to the forming region; an electron-beam emission focusing and scanning means (6) and an laser-beam emission focusing and scanning means (7) configured in such a manner that a scanning range of the electron-beam emission focusing and scanning means (6) and a scanning range of the laser-beam emission focusing and scanning means (7) cover at least a part of the forming region; and a controller configured to control the electron-beam emission focusing and scanning means (6) and the laser-beam emission focusing and scanning means (7) to perform a powder integrated-scanning and forming treatment on the forming region.

A 3-D printing method and a 3-D printout are provided. In an embodiment, the 3-D printing method includes laser-scanning a printing material according to a 3-D printing model so that the printing material starts to be sintered into a printout in a shape, layer by layer from the bottom up; and feeding a treatment gas into a 3-D printing device and laser-scan a local area of the printout so that the treatment gas reacts with the surface of the local area of the printout and a hardened layer is formed. The laser scanning and the feeding of the treatment gas are performed alternately until a printout with local hardened layers is formed. By adjusting the gas environment, the components can be manufactured by selective laser melting equipment to have a wear- and corrosion-resistant nitrided surface layer and keep the expected ductility of the central area.

The present disclosure generally relates to additive manufacturing systems and methods on a large-scale format. One aspect involves a build unit that can be moved around in three dimensions by a positioning system, building separate portions of a large object. The build unit has an energy directing device that directs, e.g., laser or e-beam irradiation onto a powder layer. In the case of laser irradiation, the build volume may have a gasflow device that provides laminar gas flow to a laminar flow zone above the layer of powder. This allows for efficient removal of the smoke, condensates, and other impurities produced by irradiating the powder (the “gas plume”) without excessively disturbing the powder layer. The build unit may also have a recoater that allows it to selectively deposit particular quantities of powder in specific locations over a work surface to build large, high quality, high precision objects.